Winter in Chamonix? or?

[spopepro]

I couldn't find anything with search-fu, so hopefully this is fresh enough.

My wife and I had our England trip last summer scuttled (obviously) and while I could probably fight BA for a refund rather than a credit, it's likely more worth my time to just use it rather than fight for something else. Flights have to be completed by 30-4-22. We are obviously making assumptions about the state of the world that could change things, so let's pretend that's not a consideration for now.

Our first thought was Chamonix over new year. We love to ski (piste, off-piste, nordic, it's all good), ice climb (WI and AI), winter hike, and finish the days with incongruent luxury to the days outdoor challenge. We also know almost nothing about the area.

So I guess my questions are two-fold: 1) is there a better suggestion out there (remember the BA flight credit) and 2) if Chamonix, what are the things I should know?

[vertical_doug]

I think you will fly into Geneva so if French resorts are closed again like this year, you have a fall back in Swiss Resorts. Depending on how hard you like to go off-piste, if someone can introduce you to a guide to hire instead fo getting a random one for up on the glacier, it makes a huge difference in experience.

[vertical_doug]

The other thing is I recommend going later in the season. Early season snow can be hit and miss, and NYE is still early and can have crappy snow conditions. If you can go later in Feb, you will be better off. You just want to avoid the half-terms for French Families and English Families.

D

[Paul Jacobs]

If you fly to Geneva, I recommend the train to Chamonix via Lausanne, Martigny and change at Martigny for the Mont Blanc Express to Chamonix. Probably the slowest and most expensive way to get there but it is one of the great railway journeys of the world. I have travelled this way more than 10 times and it never fails to impress.

https://www.mont-blanc-express.ch/en/

I agree with Doug about later in the season. I had one of my best ski trips in the Chamonix valley during the first week of May but that was 20 years ago.

Argentière, a town up the valley from Chamonix, is an option for convenient access to the Grand Montets ski area but less good than Chamonix for shopping. There is usually good snow there if you get up high.

[sk_tle]

I would choose different dates as ski resorts are quite packed during school holidays periods. Christmas/new year is possibly the worst, it clashes both with french school holidays and every single european country.

[spopepro]

I would choose different dates as ski resorts are quite packed during school holidays periods. Christmas/new year is possibly the worst, it clashes both with french school holidays and every single european country.

Aye, there's the rub. I work in schools, so it is my holiday too. So is it so awful, like Vail-on-a-bluebird-powder-day awful? Or just something that requires some patience and standard mountain practices of "be first, chose the off-the-beaten-path option on weekends"?

But it is maybe sounding like the combination of crowds plus poor snow means that it isn't worth the investment at that time. Sometimes the waterfall ice is better when the snow is poor, so I'd maybe have that going for me. However, if the crevasses don't have bridges, I can see how the most interesting ski lines would be out.

In any case, thanks all for the beta. We may opt for something more backcountry.

[Paul Jacobs]

Every skier, climber, mountain runner should go to Chamonix at least once if she or he can.

Near Chamonix in February (not this year).

[caleb]

Aye, there's the rub. I work in schools, so it is my holiday too. So is it so awful, like Vail-on-a-bluebird-powder-day awful? Or just something that requires some patience and standard mountain practices of "be first, chose the off-the-beaten-path option on weekends"?

But it is maybe sounding like the combination of crowds plus poor snow means that it isn't worth the investment at that time. Sometimes the waterfall ice is better when the snow is poor, so I'd maybe have that going for me. However, if the crevasses don't have bridges, I can see how the most interesting ski lines would be out.

In any case, thanks all for the beta. We may opt for something more backcountry.

I once made the mistake of scheduling the last week of January at Zermatt. The backcountry was a thin layer of ice, and we spent the week on the groomers.

Local folks told us to come back in late March or early April.

[vertical_doug]

In the past, BA had a round-the-world ticket you could fly. It was really reasonable and as long as you continued to go one direction, you could stop in as many places as you wanted. Why don't you see if you can change you round trip ticket to London to a round trip around the world. Fly London, Paris, Istanbul, Bombay, HK, Tokyo, Honululu , Los Angelos, back to start.... (You can use their codeshare partners on some of the legs)

Its a gas. When I lived in Tokyo, I always used this for a business trip, and did a visit all the offices and met all the customers on one marathon trip.... It was a lot of fun.


If that doesn't work, see if you can use the ticket to go skiing in Hokkaido at Christmas. Even a bad powder day in late December/January in Niseko will be one of your best powder days. Skiing in Japan is a bargain in my opinion since lift tickets and lodging tends to be much cheaper than comparable places in US and Europe. If you have an IKON pass, you can use that...

[spopepro]

In the past, BA had a round-the-world ticket you could fly. It was really reasonable and as long as you continued to go one direction, you could stop in as many places as you wanted. Why don't you see if you can change you round trip ticket to London to a round trip around the world. Fly London, Paris, Istanbul, Bombay, HK, Tokyo, Honululu , Los Angelos, back to start.... (You can use their codeshare partners on some of the legs)

Its a gas. When I lived in Tokyo, I always used this for a business trip, and did a visit all the offices and met all the customers on one marathon trip.... It was a lot of fun.


If that doesn't work, see if you can use the ticket to go skiing in Hokkaido at Christmas. Even a bad powder day in late December/January in Niseko will be one of your best powder days. Skiing in Japan is a bargain in my opinion since lift tickets and lodging tends to be much cheaper than comparable places in US and Europe. If you have an IKON pass, you can use that...

This is a good idea. We do have Epic passes (the military ones, so no "free" skiing in Japan or Europe, but can't complain about the generous benefit). I've always worried a little about a trip up north. We would definitely love to hit the onsen, but we are both heavily tattooed and I'm worried about conflict in more traditional areas. But possibly ski/outdoor areas are less traditional than the rest of Hokkaido.

[vertical_doug]

This is a good idea. We do have Epic passes (the military ones, so no "free" skiing in Japan or Europe, but can't complain about the generous benefit). I've always worried a little about a trip up north. We would definitely love to hit the onsen, but we are both heavily tattooed and I'm worried about conflict in more traditional areas. But possibly ski/outdoor areas are less traditional than the rest of Hokkaido.

You are already GAIJIN , so it doesn't count. Niseko is heavily Australian, Chinese and Canadian most years (this year was different) and I don't think you will have a problem.

[spopepro]

Got the academic calendar for next year and they consolidated some of the holidays so I think I can make end of feb work. I think our current idea is to fly into Geneva, take the awesome train to Chamonix, and stay there for 5-6 days. Then transfer back to do the Jura ridge traverse (or at least some part of it) on xc skis for another 5-6 days.

I’ll get a guide recommendation from my ifmga peeps here—any reason to pick a particular village for the stay in the valley?